Polk's Nature Discovery Center Rocks! - March Events

Friday, March 19th

Astronomy Night

• 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
• Gaze into the stars and learn about the amazing world of Astronomy with Ken Webb.
• Meet in front of the buildings & ride tram up to the Sandhill

Saturday, March 27th

Guided Hike

• **9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
• Requires sign up. Join on of the Center’s docents and learn about the various animals and plants that live in Circle B’s different habitats Limited to 15 guests
• Meet in the Exhibit Hall

Discovery Center Activities

• 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
• Designed especially for kids and adults, please join us for an exciting activities and craft as we explore “What Lives Beneath our Feet” at the Circle B Bar Reserve, parents are asked to attend with their children. This activity is ongoing thru the day.
• Located in the Exhibit Hall

**Space is limited , sign up at the reception desk.

To sign up visit the Discovery Center or call 668-4673.

Sign-up begins the 1st of each month.

Discovery Center hours are:

Tuesday—Saturday

9:00 am—4:00 pm

&

Sunday

Noon—4:00 pm

FossilFest 2010, March 20-21

THE ICE AGE returns to Florida! In Florida’s last Ice Age, prehistoric people hunted mammoths, built pyramids along our coast, and lived in fear of the saber cat, giant lion, and wolf. On March 20th and 21st, 2010 the Florida State Fairgrounds Special Events Center will go back in time to a different place, a different Florida, a land long lost. The Tampa Bay Fossil Club presents the 23rd annual, FossilFest 2010,Florida - Land of the Lost!

Where:		Florida State Fairgrounds, Special Events Center
When:		March 20 & 21, 2010
Time:		Saturday - 9AM until 6PM, Sunday - 10AM until 4PM
Admission:		$5.00 for adults, children 12 and under admitted free.

Want that Bronzed Goddess Glow Without the Harmful Effects of the Sun?

Come to a Spray Tan Party and be ready for spring break and the beach!

Friday, March 26th at 6:30 pm we're having a Spray Tan party hosted by Melissa Brady. Last year we had a blast at our Spring Break Party when Penny Kirker, A Spray of Sun's owner, came and raffled fun gifts and offered spray tans at a party rate, so we thought we'd do it again!

If you've never had a spray tan, but have been curious then this is a good way to find out more about it.

A Spray of Sun is offering sprays at a party rate to everyone who attends on Friday night.

Rates:

$25 - All over body spray

$15 - Just upper body or just legs

$5 - Just face

You'll need to RSVP for this event by March 23rd and we'll need at least five people to participate.

RSVP to mddbrady@gmail.com

Looking for Math, Reading, or Writing Help for Your Kids?

Two amazing learning enrichment websites that are sure to 'wow' you and impress your kids as well, are IXL.com, a math resource, and readwritethink.org, a reading and writing resource.

If you're like most parents, finding time to cruise the internet for activities that will help your kids with their classwork is difficult and can often be frustrating when the sites you find are outdated and non-engaging.

These two sites are contemporary and user friendly. Your kids are sure to LOVE the activities and the amount of tools and resources that are available to parents are impressive.

IXL.com is a math practice site that assesses your child's math skills and recommends skill building activities based on the assessment. Parents can run reports to see how their child's ability is progressing so there is no guessing about what a child's skill level is. There is a cost of $9.95 per month or $79 per year, but the cost seems well worth it if you consider what tutoring costs per hour. There is also a 30 day free trial for teachers to use in the classroom, so you may want to pass this information on to your child's teacher, the school can purchase a site license and that will save you from paying for a membership.

readwritethink.org is a reading and writing resource that has something for parents, students, and teachers. The site is easy to navigate and is filled with games and activities that will build your child's reading and writing skills. This site is free to use.

Check out these sites and feel free to leave comments here about them!

Polk's Nature Discovery Center Rocks!

If you haven't visited Polk's Nature Discovery Center yet, then what are you waiting for? The center offers the 'wow' factor as soon as you drive into the parking lot.

The gorgeous landscape and new Discovery Center is set in the middle of more than a thousand acres of oak hammock. Also, on the grounds is a freshwater marsh, hardwood swamp and lake shore that is home to an amazing and diverse bird population, which includes a variety of wading birds, waterfowl, ospreys and bald eagles. You can't help but feel as if you stepped into a National Geographic film.

The thing that the kids will love is the treehouse that was built right inside the center itself! There are discovery stations within the center that allow the kids to explore on their own, but if they have questions there is always friendly and eager staff to offer help.

Here's a list of February Events:

Sunday, February 7th

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Discovery Kids—What is a Watershed?

• For kids ages 2-10, join us for an exciting hour of story, activity and craft as we
• explore what it is a watershed.
• Parents are asked to attend.
• Located in the Exhibit Hall

Tuesday, February 16th

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Nature Tots — Frogs

• Pre-registration is required. Each program is limited to 10 children.
• For ages 2-4 with parent or guardian.
• Nature Tots programs provide hands-on nature adventures in which young children (ages 2 to 4 years) and their grownups explore basic ecology ideas while connecting with nature. Through imaginative play, stories, art, song, movement, and of course, up close examination of the natural world, participants will get to know more about the nature theme of the day and the world around them.
• Each program will be a focused, age-appropriate study and celebration of the wonderful things observed in nature. Adults will be expected to stay with their children to assist with hands-on activities.
• Located in the Orientation Theater

Friday, February 19th

5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Astronomy Night

• Gaze into the stars and learn about the amazing world of Astronomy with Ken Webb.
• Meet in front of the buildings & ride tram up to the Sandhill

To sign up for any of the events visit the Discovery Center or call 668-4673.

Discovery Center is located at 4399 Winter Lake Road

Lakeland, Fl 33803

Hours are:

Tuesday—Saturday

9:00 am—4:00 pm

Sunday

Noon—4:00 pm